How to measure gas mileage accurately
- Fill your tank and reset your trip odometer.
- Drive as usual.
- At the next fill-up, fill to the same level and note the fuel added.
- Enter the distance since the first fill-up and the amount added at the second.
Do not use the total tank capacity unless that is the amount you actually used. Averaging several fill-ups gives a more representative picture than a single short trip.
MPG and fuel consumption formulas
MPG (US) = miles driven ÷ US gallons used. For example, 300 miles using 10 US gallons equals 30 MPG.
L/100 km = liters used ÷ kilometers driven × 100. Lower L/100 km means less fuel consumed; higher MPG or km/L means better fuel economy.